At the dawn of Day Three on May 21th the seeds of the Universal Underworld will begin sprouting. These potent seeds will only grow by the light of consciousness’ intentional nurturance, so we must clearly identify, comprehend and attend to their nature.

In the Day Three teleconference, Barbara Hand Clow will identify some of the most important new seeds, as well as consider what needs to end to make space for this new growth. Based on these ideas as well as new ones that will surely come from callers, she will guide a discussion aimed at deeply comprehending the nature of the Day 3 sprouting.

1-Eb is a southern trecena, since it begins with a southern sun-sign (Eb), and it has more southern sun-signs (4) than any other direction (3 of every other). The southern sun-signs in this trecena appear on the days 1, 5, 9, and 13, and they are contrasted by 3 northern signs on the days 3, 7, and 11. If you draw a line connecting the yellow (southern) signs in the above figure, a trapezoid is formed, which gives the trecena a stable southern base. If the contrasting white (northern) signs are connected a perfect triangle is formed, with 7-Edznab at the apex.

Being a southern trecena, 1-Eb’s theme is abundance: plenty of Roads (1), plenty of Wisdom (5), plenty of Suns (9) and plenty of Seeds (13).

1-Eb“Every day is a winding Road” sings Sheryl Crow, and this is the main message of 1-Eb. Every day a winding road is taken, while countless other roads are inevitably forsaken. The sun-sign Eb is called “the Road to Life” and it stands for abundance through humility, stewardship and simplicity. Another famous saying which applies to this day is “there is a difference between knowing the Path and walking the Path”. This trecena accentuates the presumed conflict between trying to make everyone happy and dwelling on the compromises that result from such expectations. This is the day when you begin walking the path AND knowing it.

… And the signpost at the side of the Road says “Express your feelings; don’t hold them in.”

Born on this day: Friedrich Nietzsche, Billie Holiday

2-BenThe sun-sign Ben is translated as “Reed”. It is a conduit between heaven and earth. On 2-Ben the duality between these two extremes stands out, especially since this is a Portal Day (more details on Portal Days in the previous post, under the previous Portal Day: 10-Lamat). When the journey is underway a fateful question arises: “Will this Road lead to heavenly aspirations or earthly needs?” This question is not easily resolved, since it arises from a preconception that previous roads we’ve taken led us either up to the Spiritual or down to the Material. However, on a broader scale, which cannot yet be fathomed so early in the journey – a Road is simply a road, and it always takes you exactly to where you need to go.

3-IxThe 3rd day of every trecena is a day of rhythmic action and communication, since it comes right after resolving the duality and indecision of the 2nd day. Ix is the Jaguar/Shaman, and its energy is somewhat elusive, indirect, and feline in nature. Combined together, 3-Ix is like an inquisitive cat that wants to know everything and can’t stand still. The Jaguar’s element is nature, and it appreciates the scenic road, regardless of where it leads.

Born on this day: Josef Stalin, Enrico Fermi, Iggy Pop

4-MenThe sun-sign Men is the Eagle that soars high above the Road and sees dead-ends and insurmountable barriers that cannot possibly be foreseen by its predecessor – the Jaguar – at ground level. The 4th stage of the journey is when boundaries are placed and the entire process is stabilized as a result. The Eagle’s vision on this day helps to avoid taking the wrong turns on the Road, and teaches us that, although there are always countless Roads to take, you must use Vision to define your overall destination, and as a result – maintain freedom of movement.

Born on this day: John F. Kennedy, Woody Allen, Diego Maradona,

5-CibAfter getting the Eagle’s-eye view of all the Roads that should and shouldn’t be taken, at the 5th stage of the journey Wisdom (Cib) pinpoints the best route to take. Ultimately, only one Road is traversed, and on this day the silent introspection of Cib reveals the one true path which seems to lie right in front of us. However, the second Portal Day of the trecena is also a day of serious pondering and deep self-consciousness, which borderlines insecurity: “Is this truly the best route?” Well, you better just keep on walking and make it the best as you go!

Born on this day: Pablo Picasso, Chris Rock, Robert Redford

6-CabanCaban stands for the deep and slow rhythms of Earth itself, and on the 6th day of the trecena it provides confidence and flow. This is the day in which you take off your shoes and walk barefoot on the Road. The soil relays the Earth’s deep frequencies through your bare feet and reassures you that the one path that was chosen yesterday will lead you exactly to where you should be. Elephants do the same as they migrate over thousands of miles to arrive at a dry basin just before an abundant flood rushes in.

7-EdznabEdznab is the Mirror of reality, and 7-Edznab is the only day in the Tzolkin when the Mirror meets the reflective number 7. This is a powerful day of stark reality right in your face. There is absolutely no room for deception or second guessing. Edznab is the knife that cuts through illusion, and when it appears on the midpoint and apex of the journey it reflects both the humble and hesitant beginning of the first step (1-Eb) and the abundant ascension that lies in promise at the end of the Road (13-Kan). It is the proverbial Point of No Return.

The second half of any given trecena revolves around a process of manifestation. In the first half an energetic wave of change is gathered below the surface of existing reality (stage 1 through 5). It then reaches equilibrium around the crest (6 through 9), crosses the breaking-point of stage 10 (Manifestation), and finally resolves and completes the cycle (11 and 12), before the next wave begins to gather (13).

8-CauacThe 8th day of the trecena is the day in which the theme of the previous trecena reappears to balance the effects of the current one. The previous trecena was 1-Cauac, which is the blessing of the cleansing rainstorm. On 8-Cauac an activating and balancing change takes place, as a direct result of facing the stark reality of yesterday (7-Edznab). In the context of this trecena, when the Road to Life (Eb) is chosen, and the point of no return (7) is crossed – a storm breaks out, and the old skin of the past is shed and washed away.

The lesson of this day is that even when a true path is chosen, storms of change are always a possibility as you actually walk the path. It also shows that meticulous cleansing, which takes place at the everyday mundane level – invariably transforms the whole (and vice versa).

Born on this day: Lenny Kravitz, Christopher Lee, Ravi Shankar

9-AhauAn Ahau day is the final day of the 20-day uinal, and it represents enlightenment and the realization of all potential. 9-Ahau is the day when the 5th uinal of the Tzolkin ends, which means that on this day the entire 260-day process of gestation completes its 20-day cycle of Empowerment (5), which began on 3-Imix.

9-Ahau is when the memory of our great ancestors guides us on the Path of Life and provides patience, perseverance, and peace of mind. Although it seems that today is much more challenging than yesterday, on this day we are reminded that those who came before us also had to choose the one true path and to leave all other paths behind. Like us, they too walked the Path to wherever it led. On 9-Ahau this realization is an abundant source of comfort and insight, and it allows for enlightened completion and realization of the process thus far.

Born on this day: Steve Jobs, C.S. Lewis, Steve Miller, Randy Johnson

10-ImixThe end of every Road is the beginning of the next. Imix (the crocodile) is considered by many to be the first sun-sign, since everything begins and ends in the Womb of Creation – the primordial swamp that is the crocodile’s domain. The previous day (Ahau) is also called “The Master”, and in this respect, every master eventually becomes a novice of the next higher level of evolution.

Therefore, 10-Imix means that the one true Road manifests when we find ourselves back on square one. But this is scarcely a regression, since the journey itself has transformed us. Equipped with the nurturing instincts of Imix, and the responsibility that stage 10 invokes – it is now time to go “Back to School” to guide and show our fellow companions how the Road to Life can be chosen and travelled.

11-Ik11-Ik is a gentle breeze which refines the newly manifested path and perfects it. Ik is the essence of intellect which distinguishes between one thing and the other and enables us to communicate with our fellow travelers. Coupled with the wind, the energy of stage 11 can be described as a wise teacher who doesn’t try to change his pupil’s nature, but instead makes subtle corrections and upgrades, so that he may better fit whatever’s already manifested without fundamentally changing his essence. In other words, 11-Ik is like a compass which shows how not to go back, and where to go from here.

12-Akbal12-Akbal is a day of profound understanding that, no matter how well-travelled and planned a Road may be – the way you experience and walk it always remains unknown. We come to realize that during the previous days of planning, walking, and charting the Road it was always intuition that guided us. The destination doesn’t wait at the end of the Road, it is formulated step-by-step by the bravery of the traveler, who walks the unknown path into the Night, and emerges at dawn to inspire future adventurers.

13-KanStage 13 represents the duality between the current process and the consequent one. As a metaphor, stage 13 can be equated with an Ace on the Blackjack table, which can either be valued as 11 or 1, depending on its surroundings. It’s completely present or altogether absent.

In the growth process, stage 13 is called “Fruition”, and the fruit holds within it the seeds of the next process of evolution. Since the sun-sign Kan means Seed (among other meanings), 13-Kan is the only day in the Tzolkin when the concept of seeding and future growth is present in both the sun-sign (nature) and number (expression).

In the context of this trecena, 13-Kan shows that once the true Road to Life is manifested and perfected, countless other roads can be charted and traveled. One seed makes many seeds, and one road leads to many roads. When this concept is realized the stage is set for life’s drama to unfold, as the Serpent 1-Chicchan begins.